Can you see the parallel of where we are in history?  Will we be able to stand?  As in the first century, when the believer was asked to make the public statement to bring judgement and destruction upon the professed church and to declare, “away with the infidels,” those who would not worship Caesar.  We’ve heard the story, and what a blessing to see the man of God stand publicly and instead of denying Jesus and pronouncing death upon his brothers and sisters, turned to the masses, and pointed at all of the audience and the proconsul and said, “Away with the infidels,” sealing his own death. 

This ties into the story of Polycarp who said, “These 86 years I’ve known Him, and He’s been faithful, praise God.”  As he looks them in the face, as they are ready to burn him at the stake and he bids them, “Don’t bother.  You don’t need to tie my hands.”  He stands there in grace and faith and offers himself up as an offering.  We have no record of whether it takes place physically or not, but if Jesus didn’t stand as He did the day at Steven’s martyrdom, His heart stood and raised up in Him in pride for His children as He stands and ever makes intercession for us, praise God, that our faith would not fail.

Are these days coming?  Will there come a day when it’s a crime in the United States of America to preach the message that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and there’s no other way to God but in His name, and His name alone is the only means of obtaining eternal salvation?  Is that day coming?  How close is it?  Is your First Amendment right of freedom of speech intact today?  I’m not talking about if it’s still written in the Constitution.  I’m asking if you have freedom of speech and the answer is no.  Well, that’s a problem for us because part of what we need to see is the contrast between the real church and the whore in these last days and the real church has some obligations.  The real church is admonished, commanded to “go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15); amen?  And every one of us is going to have to make his own decisions somewhere down the line.  You determine whether it’s better to obey God or man, but “we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19‑20), praise God.  What’s burning in you today?  What’s burning in your heart?  What’s burning in your bones today?  Jeremiah said, “I’m just going to step back and I’m not going to bring any more of this trouble on myself.  Every time I open my mouth, I get persecution.  I’m hated more by the professed covenant people of God.  The Jews hate me, the secular realm hates me.  For years they’ve been crying out, ‘the burden of the Lord,’ this message of God’s judgement.  ‘We’re tired of hearing it, it’s too much for us to carry’” (Jeremiah 23:38).  And Jeremiah said, “I’m just going to keep all of this flack away and I’m just not going to say anything.”  But then he said, “there is a fire in my bones, it was a fire in my bones” (Jeremiah 20:9).  Is there a fire in our bones?